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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22837585">to give a gift of love</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/felixfraldarius/pseuds/felixfraldarius'>felixfraldarius</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ferdibert Flashbang (Fire Emblem), Gift Giving, M/M, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Romantic Fluff, Valentine's Day</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 08:00:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,450</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22837585</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/felixfraldarius/pseuds/felixfraldarius</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Hubert von Vestra doesn’t consider himself a romantic man at all. It’s quite clear that he doesn’t care much for brazen displays of affection or silly “holidays” meant to celebrate love. However, the man he is with – the overdramatic and hopeless romantic Ferdinand von Aegir – is the complete opposite. With Valentine’s Day approaching and his lover loudly daydreaming about what secret rendezvous could be awaiting him, Hubert needs to find something satisfactory, and quickly.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ferdinand von Aegir/Hubert von Vestra</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>98</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Ferdibert Gang Valentine Flashbang</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>to give a gift of love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>this work is a part of the ferdibert valentine's flashbang. i got to partner with the very sweet and talented <a href="https://twitter.com/nabattefeld">thali</a>! </p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/nabattefeld/status/1231002543733530626?s=20">here's the beautiful art piece to go along with it</a>.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hubert von Vestra doesn’t consider himself a romantic man at all. It’s quite clear that he doesn’t care much for brazen displays of affection or silly “holidays” meant to celebrate love. However, the man he is with – the overdramatic and hopeless romantic Ferdinand von Aegir – is the complete opposite. With Valentine’s Day approaching and his lover loudly daydreaming about what secret rendezvous could be awaiting him, Hubert needs to find something satisfactory, and quickly. Nevertheless, the simple thought of him doing something sickeningly sweet makes his lip curl. They’re in the middle of war and Hubert understands he could be spending his time doing something far more productive. He’d be lying to himself, though, if he said he isn’t already anticipating the sweet smile that will light up Ferdinand’s cheeks with a pink glow when he inevitably presents him with some sort of over-the-top Valentine’s gift.
</p><p>Off he goes to find Ferdinand. There are many places the man could be – the dining hall, the sauna, the garden, to name a few – but by now Hubert is very familiar with his love for horses, and so the probability of him being at the stables is high. He makes his way through the monastery’s grounds until he sets eye on the bricks of the facility. In the corner of the stables, strands of bright orange like a ray of sunshine catch his eye, and he’s surprised in the least that Ferdinand is indeed here. He’s tending to one of the horses’ beautiful manes, and Hubert can’t help but notice the way his hands gracefully run across her thick hair. He handles her with much love and care. 
</p><p> “Ferdinand.” He speaks in his signature hushed voice as he greets the man. Ferdinand turns around with a big smile, a beaming one so bright that Hubert could make a crude joke about requiring sunglasses to look at him for longer than a few seconds if he truly wished. 
</p><p> “Ah, Hubert! Hello there! I am just finishing up with the horses for today.”
</p><p> “Hello. Would you care to join me for some tea? Coffee on my end, of course.” Hubert plans to interrogate him – though as subtly as possible with tea time topics – in order to narrow down just what to get him. They sit down to drink tea together enough that it hopefully won’t be too obvious, and knowing Ferdinand with his not-so-subtle hints as of late, he’ll probably bring Valentine’s Day gifts up before Hubert even has the chance to.
</p><p>Ferdinand von Aegir. He loves tea, anything horse related, and nearly obnoxious noble doings, but none of those make sense for a Valentine’s gift. Hubert has given him his most favoured tea many a time, and he’s sure that he can’t just up and gift him a horse.
</p><p>The two prepare tea and coffee for the other, and Hubert sets up a display of various treats (entirely for Ferdinand, as he doesn’t care for them much himself). The location of their tea date is lovely, with flowers budding around the bright flora that surrounds their white wicker table and blue skies tinged orange with the beginning of a sunset. With lazy and warm beams, the sun illuminates the pastries delicately arranged on the table, each garnished with different fruits and a dusting of icing sugar. The delectable coffee scent wafts over to Hubert, who’s ready to savour the sharp caffeine within his cup and get to questioning. He turns to Ferdinand, neatly sipping at his tea – despite being such a mundane thing to do, he looks like a piece of art – and clears his throat a little.  
</p><p> “Do you not tire from drinking the same tea every time?” While staged like a more pointed question typical of Hubert, this is the perfect way to see if Ferdinand would enjoy some of his favourite tea or not. 
</p><p> “I do not, but to keep myself from getting burnt out, I rotate between teas at times. While the flavour is exquisite, I do tend to enjoy other teas as well.” Ferdinand flashes him a grin, and Hubert wonders if he’s already picked up on his plans. 
</p><p> “I see. Quite interesting. So if you-”
</p><p> “Received tea for Valentine’s Day? I would still be overjoyed!” Ferdinand vibrates like an excited puppy, and Hubert internally rolls his eyes. The man does not even try to be subtle. “I didn’t say that,” he returns in a voice intentionally masked with mysterious tones. Feigning disinterest is the best part of his plan - if he can decipher what would suit Ferdinand best whilst leaving him guessing what he has in store, Hubert will have achieved his goal of paving the path for the most perfect of Valentine’s gifts. Thinking in such ways has his soul cursing at itself, however, as he knows he isn’t one for such cheesiness. Ferdinand doesn’t reply and sips his tea, and Hubert watches as his amber eyes gaze at him expectantly over his cup.
</p><p> “Why don’t you tell me what you were up to with the horses?” There must be at least something horse related that Ferdinand would enjoy getting. Because he found the horse lover in the stables, he’s hoping that the question isn’t too obvious, as it’s not out of the blue and focuses on what he was doing prior to their tea party. It doesn’t seem to be, because Ferdinand doesn’t immediately and excitedly jump at the question as he did with the topic of tea leaves, rather focusing on setting his cup down before speaking up.
</p><p> “I was brushing out one of the horses’ manes. She needs it braided, and so I was detangling her in preparation of that. Which reminds me…” 
</p><p>Here he goes. 
</p><p> “There is this beautiful horse being sold around here. She is quite young, still a lovely filly, but she has strong legs that are perfect for riding and jumping and shows a lot of potential at her age. I have interacted with her many a time, but unfortunately, I have not had the chance to get her! I hope that one day I am able to; her silky main is as beautiful as ever, even though she is still far from being fully grown.”
</p><p>Hubert told himself earlier that there was no way he could buy Ferdinand a horse for Valentine’s Day, but the excitement that lives within Ferdinand is borne right, left, and centre when he speaks of the small horse. Perhaps he could get him a horse after all. 
</p><p> “Hm. She sounds impressive.” Hubert doesn’t have much to say, lost in thought at how might he present Ferdinand with a horse. He’s sure it isn’t unheard of to gift a lover an animal, but it’s not something he would ever willingly do. In fact, he feels his eyes wanting to roll again at such a concept. Instead, he takes a sip of his coffee, savouring the bitterness on his tongue and watching as Ferdinand continues to rave on about what great a horse the filly is. 
</p><p>He briefly interrupts him to ask about what flowers he would like to receive. Thankfully, Ferdinand is not picky, but he did learn that he quite enjoys the scent of roses. Once their flower conversation is over, he goes right back to horses, which solidifies Hubert’s gift idea. He’s hardly able to slip in any other comments, and no other questions at all.
</p><p>Hubert watches as the sunset’s beams reflect off Ferdinand’s freckled cheeks, a bright vermillion glow reflected on his skin. Over time it grows darker and darker, and it’s time for the two to head to their rooms for the night. As ridiculous as it sounds, Hubert has somehow been convinced by his lover’s passionate ramblings to buy him a horse.
</p>
<hr/><p>The next morning Hubert set out to the marketplace. He specifically made sure to rise very early, whilst the sky is still painted in watercolour pastel colours of pink, purple, orange, and blue, all so his lover wouldn’t spot him. 
</p><p>There are plenty of vendors, but he knows just who to talk to. He approaches one of them that has a setup of riding crops and the like and asks about their animals. Typically, the vendors do not sell animals, but this one is a breeder that transports them to Garreg Mach for the monastery for those that require them for battle (horses aren’t their only stock, as they also have some wyverns and pegasi). The vendor is helpful, knowing exactly what horse Hubert is talking about with his limited knowledge on the creature (relying solely on Ferdinand’s gushing), and agrees to bring her up on Valentine’s Day. If he’s lucky, the horse will be as beautiful as his lover says she is, and he’ll purchase her as a gift for him. He makes sure to request reins in a custom maroon shade to suit Ferdinand’s tastes and outfit choices and arranges an area to meet with them on the day.
</p><p>The thought of presenting his lover with an entire horse as a gift has him cringing. Hubert is in no way interested in such a ridiculous display, but he knows it is right up Ferdinand’s alley, and he can’t get away from it now.
</p>
<hr/><p>On Valentine’s Day, Hubert slips a letter under Ferdinand’s door telling him to meet him at the stables at sunset. The letter was made intentionally obnoxiously romantic as Ferdinand would like, written on a slip of paper adorned with red velvet around the edge and eccentric gold trim. He made sure to use a dark red ink, of course. The envelope is a royal blue addressed to ‘Ferdinand von Aegir’ and closed with a seal containing shimmery gold flecks deep inside its red wax. 
</p><p> <i>‘Dear Ferdinand,
</i></p><p>
  <i>It is Valentine’s Day today, as I’m sure you know. I must request you meet me at the stables at sundown. I will not be seeing you beforehand, so prepare however you like.
</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Yours sincerely,
</i>
</p><p><i>Hubert.’</i>
</p><p>Hubert meets with the vendor, who has brought the filly to the stables. She is as beautiful as Ferdinand imagined, her mane as shiny as can be and her legs strong despite her young age. Her coat, silver and mottled but shrouded in orange light from the sunset, nearly glows underneath the afternoon rays. Because he isn’t as well-versed in horse care, he allows the vendor to hold her until Ferdinand nears. He brought along a bouquet of roses and has woven them between her reins, the light pink of the flowers having a striking effect against the custom red of the reins. It’s a very dramatic display, unbefitting of Hubert in every way.
</p><p>After Hubert stays waiting at the stables for awhile, Ferdinand finally arrives. He looks even more stunning than usual, Hubert thinks to himself, as his hair flows freely in the wind and appears to nearly sparkle underneath the setting sun. Perhaps it’s the lighting, or perhaps Hubert is madly in love with him. 
</p><p> By now, the vendor has retreated, leaving the filly’s reins in Hubert’s hands. It takes all but two seconds for Ferdinand to realise just what’s going on and race over. It seemed his lover had been holding flowers and a bag of coffee for him, but it quickly ends up on the floor when he excitedly makes his way over. 
</p><p> “This horse, she is-“
</p><p> “Yes, she is. She’s the one, Ferdinand.” Hubert sounds quite pleased with himself – the picture-perfect smile that erupts upon his lover’s face is one that he will savour forever. His orange eyes shimmer with all the love in the world once he sets them on the filly, covered in beautiful flowers and custom coloured reins. 
</p><p> “You- Hubert, I-!” Ferdinand is very flustered, “You did not have to get me her! This is a very expensive gift, regardless of if you can afford her! And this must have been hard for you to get, as well!”
</p><p>The blush on his lover’s face burns as bright as day, even underneath the sun slowly moving to touch the treetops. The darker lighting does nothing to hide his red cheeks, and Hubert likes it that way. He hands over the reins and watches with a smirk as Ferdinand takes them from his hands with wide eyes. He looks stunned and pleased, and this exact look on his face was just the type that Hubert had been so desiring from this “holiday”.
</p><p> “Heh. Enough of that, Ferdinand. Of course I was going to get her. Clearly you didn’t hear yourself rave over her the other day.” His tone is teasing, and he crosses his arms, staring down at Ferdinand with his signature smirk.
</p><p> “I… I have brought you something, too, though not nearly as lovely as this.” Ferdinand gestures to the coffee left on the floor from his frantic dash over to the horse. A few beans have escaped from the impact of the bag against the ground, but Hubert doesn’t mind. He didn’t expect anything and doesn’t care about Valentine’s Day to begin with.
</p><p>The way his heart flutters when he sees Ferdinand’s excitement at receiving the horse, however, begs to differ. He clearly cares about the excitement on his face, the determination to raise this young horse into a beautiful mare. She is young and has all the potential in the world. It’s up to Ferdinand to care for her and make sure she is suitable to take over upon his current horse’s eventual retire. Hubert knows this, and as much as he tells himself he couldn’t care less, he finds the idea of watching his lover and the filly age over time a rather heartwarming thought. Being amidst the war, every day that the Empire survives is a relief, and thinking of their future is something that aids him in keeping afloat at times. A post-war setting where things are better, where he and Ferdinand can dabble in domestic niceties. Ferdinand drags him out of his dismal thoughts by talking about his horse’s name.
</p><p> “I believe I shall name her Midnight. Her spots and gray coat remind me just of the night sky when a cloud of fog veils the land."
</p><p> “Beautiful name,” Hubert murmurs. As a thanks, Ferdinand leans in and Hubert feels as their lips capture each other in a loving kiss. Behind them, the sky blooms into a sunset the colour of an assorted flower field, with deep purples melting into pinks, oranges, yellows, and blues. Behind him, Midnight nibbles on the bottom of his cape. This loving Valentine’s will mark one with a unique happening that Ferdinand has never experienced before and the first one that Hubert has celebrated at all.</p><p>
  <i>'Happy Valentine's Day, Ferdinand von Aegir.'</i>
</p>
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